Two counts of assault on a peace officer were dropped, per the terms of the plea agreement.

Assistant Muskingum County Prosecutor Gerald Anderson argued for the maximum possible sentence — eight years — in part because of the fear, anxiety and trepidation Atkinson caused in his own children and in the victim.

"The facts of this case are quite serious," Anderson said.

The victim, he said, doesn't remember much of that night because of the injuries she sustained, Atkinson fought the officers who responded to the scene and the only appropriate sentence would be the maximum.

Atkinson's defense attorney Keith Edwards of Columbus argued that because the assault on a peace officer charges were dropped, those facts are irrelevant with regards to sentencing.

Edwards also said this was Atkinson's first violent offense and the victim came to his neighborhood and struck him first, though Edwards noted that neither he nor Atkinson were attempting to blame the victim.

Before he was sentenced, Atkinson apologized for his actions.

Common Pleas Judge Mark Fleegle noted that Akinson's criminal history included possession of cocaine and marijuana as well as seven driver's license suspensions. He also said he received two letters from two different ministers: one from Atkinson's minister and one from the victim's.

In all his years as an attorney and judge, Fleegle said he'd never received letters quite like these. Atkinson's minister wrote about how great of a person he is, and the victim's minister wrote about the fear and harm that was caused and asked for the maximum sentence.

According to the pre-sentence investigation, the victim has had two surgeries already and more surgeries are scheduled to treat the injuries she received, Fleegle said. Financial restitution can't be ordered yet because nobody knows how much it will cost at this point.

And nobody knows how the children will recover from what they endured, either, Fleegle said.